Social Entrepreneurism
What is a social entrepreneur? Defined by the Skoll Foundation,"Motivated by altruism and a profound desire to promote the growth of equitable civil societies, social entrepreneurs pioneer innovative, effective, sustainable approaches to meet the needs of the marginalized, the disadvantaged and the disenfranchised." It is a subcategory to entrepreneurism and has recently become very popular.
In the news a few months ago, Warren Buffet, the second richest man in the world, will be donating 85% of his wealth to the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation. The foundation's grants have provided funds for underrepresented minority college scholarships, AIDS prevention, diseases that strike mainly in the Third World, and other causes. I came across this article in USA Today from 2005 about how "new money" from the technology boom has impacted social entrepreneurship. "The new entrepreneurs, impatient to resolve global problems more quickly, are applying the very business models that made them rich at eBay, Microsoft, Google and America Online to battle the most vexing issues, from poverty to childhood disease." The Skoll Foundation that was referred to earlier was founded by Jeff Skoll, the first employee and president of eBay. One example of social entrepreneurship has been from the One Laptop per Child non-profit association. Nicholas Negroponte founded the company through MIT Labs as a way to provide affordable laptops (i.e. $100) to Third World countries. It is a growing trend amongst entrepreneurs to give back to society and continue to make a difference.
As an organization, Ventureforth should be familiar with the whole spectrum of entpreneurship. Social entrepreneurism is an outlet to outreach to the community and support those who are in need. Locally, The San Diego Social Venture Partners is a group that is making an impact through social entrepreneurialism. There mission is "to develop philanthropy and volunteerism to effect positive social change in San Diego County." The people involved range from VCs to professors to attorneys who offer their services for the San Diego community. Future VF events may consist of community service projects as we continue to fulfill our mission in doing greater things.
In the news a few months ago, Warren Buffet, the second richest man in the world, will be donating 85% of his wealth to the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation. The foundation's grants have provided funds for underrepresented minority college scholarships, AIDS prevention, diseases that strike mainly in the Third World, and other causes. I came across this article in USA Today from 2005 about how "new money" from the technology boom has impacted social entrepreneurship. "The new entrepreneurs, impatient to resolve global problems more quickly, are applying the very business models that made them rich at eBay, Microsoft, Google and America Online to battle the most vexing issues, from poverty to childhood disease." The Skoll Foundation that was referred to earlier was founded by Jeff Skoll, the first employee and president of eBay. One example of social entrepreneurship has been from the One Laptop per Child non-profit association. Nicholas Negroponte founded the company through MIT Labs as a way to provide affordable laptops (i.e. $100) to Third World countries. It is a growing trend amongst entrepreneurs to give back to society and continue to make a difference.
As an organization, Ventureforth should be familiar with the whole spectrum of entpreneurship. Social entrepreneurism is an outlet to outreach to the community and support those who are in need. Locally, The San Diego Social Venture Partners is a group that is making an impact through social entrepreneurialism. There mission is "to develop philanthropy and volunteerism to effect positive social change in San Diego County." The people involved range from VCs to professors to attorneys who offer their services for the San Diego community. Future VF events may consist of community service projects as we continue to fulfill our mission in doing greater things.
posted by James Lu at
11:45 PM
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